As is known, the United States produces over 250 million tons of municipal solid waste each year. This number represents approximately 4.6 pounds of waste per person per day. A large portion of this waste is hauled away in garbage trucks and packed into sanitary landfills. As a result, landfilling has become the number one method of disposing trash in the United States. However, most of the material disposed of in landfills is recyclable. Hence, in order to reduce the volume of waste disposed of in landfills, Americans have turned to recycling. It has be found that recycling benefits the environment at every stage in the life cycle of a consumer product, from the raw material used to make the product, to the final method of disposal. In order to encourage recycling, many public facilities have start to position recycling bins throughout their premises.
While functional for their intended purpose, these prior recycling bins have certain shortcomings making them unsuitable for use at public facilities. For example, potential terrorist attacks in public places have become an important issue in homeland security. It can be appreciated that since these types of recycling bins are constructed from non-transparent material such a steel or the like, a terrorist may place an item such as an explosive device or a biological agent within the recycling bin without detection. It can be appreciate that the damage caused to the public by such a terrorist attack may be significant.
Sholinder, U.S. Pat. No. 7,198,166 discloses an example of a prior recycling bin. The bin discloses in the '166 patent includes a rigid modular container having a floor and an opposite lid. Opposite rigid rectilinearly-shaped first and second panels are provided between the floor and lid and oppositely disposed rigid rectilinearly-shaped third and fourth panels extending from and between the first and second panels. The panels are removably mounted to the floor. The side edges of adjacent panels are removably mounted to each other as by bolting so that the side edges of the third and fourth panels abut the side edges of the first and second panels. Fastener bracing means such as bolt bracing are mounted to the side edges of the panels and are aligned between adjacent the panels so that fastener receiving apertures therethrough provide for rigid bracing of rigid fasteners such as bolts mounted through and between the fastener bracing means on the adjacent panels. Rigid fasteners such as bolts may be mounted through the fastener bracing means on the adjacent the panels. It is noted, however, that since the panels of the container in the '166 patent are not transparent, an explosive device or a biological agent may be placed in recycling bin without being visible to those individuals in the public facility. As a result, massive damage may result upon detonation or release.
Therefore, it is a primary object and feature of the present invention to provide a recycling center wherein the interior of the center may be visually inspected from the exterior thereof.
It is a further object and feature of the present invention to provide a recycling center that is simple to construct and easily expanded by a user.
It is a still further object and feature of the present invention to provide a recycling center that is inexpensive to manufacture and simple to utilize.
In accordance with the present invention, a recycling station receivable on a supporting surface is provided. The recycling station includes first and second sidewalls. Each sidewall includes a forward edge, a rearward edge, an upper edge and an inner surface such that the inner surfaces of the first and second sidewalls define a recycle receiving chamber. A lid is positioned between the upper edges of the first and second sidewalls. The lid has an aperture therethrough. A door is pivotably connected to the forward edge of the first sidewall. The door is movable between a first closed position and a second open position allowing access to the recycle receiving chamber. The door includes a transparent portion to allow an individual to view the recycle receiving chamber therethrough.
The first sidewall may include a panel having a transparent portion and the second sidewall may also include a panel having a transparent portion. The recycling station may have a rear wall that includes a panel having a transparent portion. Indicia may be provided on the first sidewall.
A bag support is slidably mounted within recycle receiving chamber. The bag support is movable between a first retracted position wherein the bag support in within the recycle receiving chamber and an extended position wherein at least a portion of the bag support projects from the recycle receiving chamber. The bag support includes a first rail slidably mounted to a first sidewall and a second rail slidably mounted to a second sidewall. The first rail has a forward end and a rear end, and the second rail has a forward end and a rear end. The bag support also includes a forward cross rail interconnecting the forward ends of the first and second rails. A bag support bar has a first end interconnected to the forward cross rail at a location adjacent the first rail and a second end interconnected to the forward cross rail at a location adjacent the second rail. The first and second ends of the bag support bar are generally C-shaped. The bag support bar and the forward cross rail lie in a common plane at an acute angle to the supporting surface.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, a recycling station receivable on a supporting surface is provided. The recycling station includes a housing having first and second sidewalls and defining a recycle receiving chamber therein. A door is pivotably connected to the housing. The door is movable between a first closed position and a second open position allowing access to the recycle receiving chamber. A bag support is slidably mounted within recycle receiving chamber. The bag support is movable between a retracted position wherein the bag support in within the recycle receiving chamber and an extended position wherein at least a portion of the bag support project from the recycle receiving chamber.
The door includes a transparent portion that allows an individual to view the recycle receiving chamber therethrough. The housing may include indicia thereon. The bag support includes a first rail slidably mounted to a first sidewall and a second rail slidably mounted to a second sidewall. The first rail has a forward end and a rear end, and the second rail having a forward end and a rear end. The bag support further includes a forward cross rail interconnecting the forward ends of the first and second rails. A bag support bar has a first end interconnected to the forward cross rail at a location adjacent the first rail and a second end interconnected to the forward cross rail at a location adjacent the second rail. The first and second ends of the bag support bar are generally C-shaped. The bag support bar and the forward cross rail lie in a common plane. The plane is at an acute angle to a vertical plane.
In accordance with a still further aspect of the present invention, a recycling station is provided. The recycling station includes a housing having first and second sidewalls and defining a recycle receiving chamber therein. A door is pivotably connected to the housing. The door is movable between a first closed position and a second open position allowing access to the recycle receiving chamber. A bag support slidably is mounted within recycle receiving chamber. The bag support includes a first rail slidably mounted to a first sidewall and a second rail slidably mounted to a second sidewall. The first rail has a forward end and a rear end, the second rail has a forward end and a rear end. A forward cross rail interconnects the forward ends of the first and second ends. A bag support bar has a first end interconnected to the forward cross rail at a location adjacent the first rail and a second end interconnected to the forward cross rail at a location adjacent the second rail. The first and second ends of the bag support bar are generally C-shaped. The bag support bar and the forward cross rail lie in a common plane. The plane is at an acute angle to a vertical plane. The door includes a transparent portion and the housing includes indicia thereon.